We here at Wildcat Blue Nation want to involve fans in our discussions about the Kentucky Wildcats as much as possible. This is the first edition of our fan questions, the Big Blue Questions (BBQ).
In the first edition of The Weekend BBQ, we have two fan questions that rattled our minds a tad here at Wildcat Blue Nation. The Kentucky Wildcats are nearing the conclusion of the regular season. Fans are getting anxious due to the fact that the Wildcats are not playing their best basketball at the moment. Even though John Calipari’s young team has won their last five games, fans are not satisfied with the style of win. This week’s questions are as expected. The first question comes in from our Twitter page from @LOGGIZZO:
what did we do so well at the beginning of the season (see Arizona St, Mich St) that we aren't doin now?
— logan (@LOGGIZZO) February 23, 2017
The Tale of Two Halves for The Kentucky Wildcats
Isaiah Briscoe is the difference. For the first half of the season, Isaiah Briscoe was though of as the leader of this basketball team. He came out, was efficient offensively, and played lockdown defense. The season started, and we were all like, “holy crap, who’s this kid?”. He came out with an improved jump shot, he could score in the paint and convert his free throws. In an area that haunted him so much last season, Briscoe had improved in those areas.
In Kentucky’s first 19 games, Isaiah Briscoe missed two in a row against Cleveland State and UT Martin. With those two games aside, Briscoe had averaged 14.3 points per game in that stretch. The Sophomore guard had scored in double figures each game he played except for two games. In December 21, 2016’s three point loss to Louisville, Isaiah Briscoe managed to score eight points while dropping three assists, and pulling five rebounds. For a guard, Briscoe has rebounded very well. But the turnovers as of late have been the huge difference. In the final game of that stretch, in a matchup against South Carolina, Briscoe did not record a point. The guard instead committed seven turnovers.
Since South Carolina, in the span of Kentucky’s last 10 games, Isaiah Briscoe has committed 40 total turnovers. That is an average of four turnovers per game. Also in that span, Kentucky has a record of 7-3. That is not good enough to be on the floor. In the first 16 games in which Briscoe played, he had only committed just 32 turnovers over that span. Thats an average of two turnovers per game. That is the difference in the first part of the season and now.
Next Question
The next fan question comes from @gwo4.
Will someone on team step up and do the dirty work
— Scott Watts (@gwo4) February 25, 2017
The Dirty Work
It’s not hard to see, that these young Wildcats have not been playing with heart and passion. It looks as though John Calipari’s team has gotten complacent. When it comes to the dirty work, for example, diving after 50/50 balls, rebounding on both ends, and playing strict defense, the eyes point to one person.
Dominique Hawkins is the guy to call on for this type of work. He should be the ring leader. As some could tell in the previous question’s answer, Isaiah Briscoe better improve, or he will find his way to the bench. Enter Dominique, the Richmond native. The Senior is the most active player on the floor for the Cats. He doesn’t give the team a lot offensively which can be the reason he won’t be on the floor for long periods of time.
Next: Enough is Enough, the Wildcats Need to be Better
Hawkins will have to be on the floor to give the team that spark that they need on the defensive end. He is a relentless defender and can rebound. He can also run the offense on the other end of the floor. Hawkins is smart with the ball. Only 12 turnovers all season for the Madison Central product. That is all the while playing an average of nearly 18 minutes per game. For a player off of the bench to come in and take care of the basketball, and give your team a spark on defense, that is huge for a team looking to content for a National Title.
All Statistics Information was accumulated from ESPN’s Kentucky Basketball Profile.
"The Weekend BBQ is a column for The Big Blue Nation to ask us their burning questions about our beloved Kentucky Wildcats. Anyone wanting their Big Blue Questions answered can contact us on Twitter @WildcatBlueNatn or leave a comment on our Facebook Page."